CURRENT ISSUES: Welcome Our theme this month is caring. Welcome to all our returning students and staff and a special welcome to all our new students and staff. Please stop by the bulletin board on the first floor to see the pictures and information about our new staff members. I will be getting to know our new students better by having lunch with them during these first weeks of school. Looking forward to a wonderful new school year! Attendance and Tardiness: As we begin a new school year, please remember the importance of ensuring that your child attend school regularly and on time. Please be sure to inform the school if your child is ill and that when they return to school, you send a note explaining the absence. If you will be out of school for other reasons, please inform the office in writing of the nature of the absence and the length. Notify the office of absences before 10 a.m. when they enter the attendance into the computer. The number for the main office is (202) 282-0110. If your child is out of school for more than four days, they need a physician's note to return to school. The guidelines for attendance and tardiness for DCPS can be found on the DCPS website. School starts at 8:40 a.m. and students are considered late for class when they are not in their classrooms by 8:50 a.m. School ends at 3:15 p.m. and arrangements for afterschool care must be made if students are not picked up by 3:30 p.m. Coming to school on time is crucial. Students who arrive late start their day behind and do not have a chance to settle in with their classmates before their learning day begins. It leaves them in a "catch up" mode for the rest of the day, not a good mode for learning. Please have your children arrive on time (at 8:40) or arrive early and play on the playground before school with parental supervision. Parents, your help is needed to ensure that your child arrives to school on time and attends regularly. Please get to school, get to school on time and keep us informed about any attendance or tardiness issues by writing to Mrs. Leventhal or calling the office and leaving information about it.